Wendy Cheryl Ellingford Waite, 68, of Evanston passed away at home on Sept. 30, ending her courageous battle with lung cancer.
Wendy was born as the only child to Jack Garnell Ellingford and Wilma Marcella Stanberry Ellingford on Oct. 9, 1950. In 1956, Marcella passed due to lung cancer. Wendy was blessed with a second mother years later when Jack married Dorothy Twitchell Ellingford.
She was raised in Kemmerer, along with her four siblings. She attended school in Kemmerer as a member of the Class of 1969. She later married Gary D. Todd, with whom she had three children. Through the years, her life led in a different direction, and she met the love of her life, William T. “Terry” Waite. They were married in 1990 and she became a mother to another child, whom she helped raise, and three other grown children.
Wendy was an ambitious woman who pursued many career paths including owning and operating her father’s motel. Her years of knowledge in business and her love for numbers eventually led her to the banking industry. She held many positions in banking, starting as a teller but leading to business banking then operations manager.
She was a parishioner of the Catholic Church, and she enjoyed serving others in many ways in her daily life. She had many acquaintances from all walks of life, and after a few minutes with Wendy, you were no longer a stranger. Wendy was a fun-loving, compassionate woman who always put others first, especially her family. She definitely had a way of touching the hearts of everyone she knew.
Wendy is survived by her husband, Terry Waite; her children, Scott (Brenda) Todd, Clint (Salina) Todd, Mindy House (Shad Bateman), Billy (Corie) Waite, Tim (Tracy) Waite, Terrie Pond and Cindy (Mike) Thuirer; 19 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; her mother, Dorothy T. Ellingford; sisters, Deanne (Will) Pierce and JoAnn (Gary) Souder; and a large extended family.
Wendy was welcomed into heaven by her mother, Marcella Ellingford; her father, Jack G. Ellingford; her brothers, Richard G. Ellingford and Kit D. Ellingford.
An open house celebration of life in honor of Wendy will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6, in the Parish Hall next to St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church (825 Center St., Evanston) for those who wish to pay their respects and share memories of Wendy.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in the memory of Wendy Waite to the St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church Building Fund, P.O. BOX 163, Evanston, WY 82931.
